The Master INBOX
by BackwardsHazard
Summary: As with other Authors, I've decided to create this little dumping ground for my 'Story's That Weren't' as it were, the ones who got lost or were forgotten in the great 'Master INBOX' Recently unearthed and dusted off for your perusal. Anime/game/etc. drabbles/Stories That Weren't/Challenges/Adoptables/ T for now may change later.


_**Hello everyone, Hazard here bringing you something a little different, and to prove I'm not dead in my 'extended absense' Basically I've been in a deep artistic funk that I've been trying to bulldoze my way through, to little effect. SO! To showcase that I'm still among the living, I bring to you a little Drabbles/Story's That Weren't/Challenges/Adoptables Series. Bringing to the forefront some stories that never made it past their initial first, second or third chapters before I either lost interest, forgot about them, or just plain scrapped them due to my (at the time) Ineptitude at writing. For those last ones I've rewrote a bit of them so they're a bit more up to snuff with my current level of writing. Be warned that my level of writing has improved somewhat since I started so some of these little fic ideas may the lack of quality I normally try to achieve.**_

_**Now as I said before this is a series of **__**Drabbles/Story's That Weren't**__**/Challenges**__**/Adoptables. Pay close attention to that last two. These stories, while not technically owned by me since, you know, copyright and such, however the general plot bunnies are mine but, if you wish to adopt/use as inspiration for your own/take it as a challenge/etc. Then by all means do so, I wont hold artistic freedom back. Just please, tell me first so I can have a front row seat to my plot bunnies given legs to hop on and tell people where you got the idea, spread the fame and glory to the people who gave you your inspiration. Too many good authors don't get as much coverage for their stories as they should. And while I'm no Shakespeare, I do tend to feature other author's stories in my AN's so other people can find stories that are genuinely 'good' but might not have the proper audience for it's content.  
**_

_**So again, if you want to use my ideas or even use the chapters themselves as an opening salvo for the rest of the story to build from, then go right ahead, just give credit where credit is due and make sure I can check out what you guys plan on doing with it.**_

_**Now here's how the structure of this thing is going to go. I'll post the chapters and give a brief synopsis on what I was planning on doing in that story, both for other people to understand my reasoning there and to have something to work with if your do adopt it. I know that most people want to do their own thing when they adopt/accept challenges but I also like people using a few ideas that I personally come up with but didn't have the heart or drive to put into words, some of the ideas are fairly amusing, as is in this first chapter, which is a general FMA xover. read on and find out what I mean.  
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_**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the series that can and possibly will be written here in this little corner of my mind. But specifically I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist that belongs to the author who's name escapes me at the current time and I'm too lazy to google it.**_

_**-ooo-**_

"Talking"

_'Thinking'_

**"Higher being talking"**

**-ooo-**

**Chapter 1: A second truth.**

"So this is it then?" A soft voice spoke in the dark.

It was late August, a month of freezing rain in a backwood town near the border of Drachma and Amestris.

We find Edward Elric, the famed Full Metal Alchemist laying in a pool of his own blood, the rich red liquid already starting to freeze over from the chill mountain winds.

Ed turned his head slightly to stare at the wreckage of the train he was in before the accident. The train itself was a mangled heap of scrap iron, the mere fact he had survived the train jumping it's rails and crashing from ice built up on the tracks was proof enough of how hardy he was. But now, miles for anywhere important enough to save him and mortally injured from a piece of stray steel cutting into his side, Ed seemed to take stock of his life, how much he had wasted in pursuit of a dream. It had been 5 years since he had sacrificed his gate and lost his alchemy to give his brother a new body. And now, he could only cry as he'd never see his brother Al or Winry again. The small tear on his cheek froze before it ever hit the ground as Edward Elric, the famed Fullmetal Alchemist and Hero of the People took his final breath.

**"Not quite."**

Ed blinked, and stangely the world turned white. Not the cloudy white you'd imagine from staring up a cold stormy sky. No this was pure white in an endless sea of white...and that voice... Ed knew where he was but couldn't for the life of him know why he was here.

**"I see you are confused young alchemist, I figured you would be."** Ed sat up, no longer cold or in pain, he glanced down at where his wound was and only saw pink skin, like the wound had healed over.

**"Yes, the wound was healed." **Ed's eye's trailed upwards to find the grinning visage of Truth staring him in the face, the creature or god's body still an unremarkable outline as the last time he had laid eyes upon the thing.

"Why am I here Truth? I no longer have my gate so I shouldn't be here." If anything truth's smile widened.

**"Ah but that's the question now isn't it?" **The outline of the being walked over to the older Elric and gave the boy a once over with it's invisible eyes. **"You are here, because you have a purpose." **it said simply.

A frown crossed Ed's features. "That doesn't explain anything at all."

Truth held a finger up** "Ah, but that doesn't mean I haven't given an explenation. It's just that you do not understand." **

Ed's frown turned into a scowl. "I don't have time for your games truth, what's happened? Clearly I'm dead, there's no way in hell I could have survived that crash but I also know I can't be here because I no longer have my gate."

**"Hehehe"** The things body seemed to shake in amusement. **"Still as impatient as ever I see."** The things smile faltered for a moment as it stared almost...sadly at the young boy. **"I need you, young alchemist to do something for me. This type of thing has not happened in many generations but now there is little time to banter." ** The being turned to the only other thing in the room, a large gate against the endless white backdrop. **"Have you ever wondered what is on the other side of the gate young man?"** At Ed's curious glance at the giant archway, Truth continued his speech. **"Many have claimed over the eons that I have existed that it leads to the afterlife, others have claimed it is a door to paradise, and yet others have claimed it is nothing but a one way path to hell."**

"Is it-"

**"-Any of those things?" **Truth mused curiously. **"To tell you the truth."** Truth smirked at his little joke. **"No, it is none of those things."**

"Then what is it?"

The outline raised it's hands to the heavens, or what could only be the heavens in a blank white world. **"It is... all of existance."**

Ed's eyes widend.

**"This gate does not lead to heaven or hell, purgatory or paradise." **It turned it's wicked smile back to Edward. **"It is a gateway to other universes other than your own."** The thing let out a hearty laugh as it gazed upon Ed's shocked face. **"What? Surprised? You shouldn't be."** The thing threw its hand back towards the gate. **"The universe always has a balance, what you know as equivalent exchange is a by product of this balance. When someone dies they pass through this gate and are reborn within another universe to maintain that balance. The gate itself acts like a filter, sending people where they need to be for their next life."**

Ed's mind was racing at a thousand miles per hour, questions popping in a dozen a second. Just why was he here then? Why did truth need him. Would he forget all about his friends and family doing this? And if that was the case...did he want to do it?

Truth smirked. ** "You cannot hide your thoughts from me young alchemist, don't you remember? One is all and all is one. You are the one and I am the all. You are as much a part of me as I am of you."**

"Then why do I even need to be here!?" Ed screamed, tired of the deity's games. If he was dead then why the hell was he playing with him, why not just send him on to his next life?

**"Ah." **Truth held up a single finger. **"But that dear boy, is why you are here."** The outline sat down on empty air, steepling it's fingers and staring at Edward with its blank faced stare. **"There has been an incident, something that should have happend, hasn't. As such, it has caused an imbalance in the multiverse."**

"So what." Ed growled. "You're sending me to another world to clean up your mess?"

Truth chuckled once, leaning back in the empty air. **"You seem to be laboring under the delusion that you haven't been working under me the entire time. Tell me Ed, why do they say that fate is a cruel or fickle mistress?"**

Ed ran the question through his head several times, sure he could figure out the etymology of the phrase fairly quickly but that was only the meaning and the source of the phrase, not the reason. "I don't know." He finally said, a little miffed that Truth would ask him a question that he couldn't answer.

**"That's because the fate's are ever changing, each new choice changes your destiny. I am omniscient child, for I am Truth. And truth is the answer to all, for in knowing all truth I know of all lies as well."**

A dawning look of realization crossed Eds face as he contemplated Truths words. "Since you know of everything, anything I do..."

**"Is according to plan."** The outline grinned again.

Ed, heart skipped a beat, to know that your entire life was nothing but someone's laid out scheme, chilled the boy to his bones...but something else seemed to come to the forefront with that answer. "Wait, if everything is according to plan then why is the universe out of balance, if you have such a great plan then why is it falling apart?"

Truth's grin lessened a bit at the boy's words. **"That, is a very good question. Since humans have free will and can choose how they live their lives, they have a manner of freedom about them, but..."**

"But?"

**"But, they also can cause problems to the plan, which is where you come in."**

"So." Ed grit his teeth in anger. "I'm just some gloryfied-"

**"Plan B? Technicaly you're more like 'plan #^&X7y' ...but yes, in a sense you are a Plan B."**

And that was it, that was Truth's reason for bringing him here. To fulfil some half assed plan to save the balance of the universe...how pathetic.

**"Hmmhmmhmm, I could see why you would think it was pathetic young alchemist. ** Truth stood up and walked calmly over to the Elric, standing casually a few feet away. **"But every step in this world has an effect, every action a reaction. And for you my dead friend I have a bit of a deal to make with you."**

Immediately Ed was on guard, any time Truth tried to make a deal, something else would go with him and Ed didn't have any desire to lose any part of himself to the fickle diety. "What kind of deal, Truth?"

**"The kind where you go do the thing I wan't you to do and you in return get to be with your family and friends again."**

Ed's eye's widened in shock. Did truth just offer to ressurect him just for going and fixing his mess? The offer was tempting. Make that very tempting but something was still bothering him "What's the catch Truth?"

Truth's grin widened. **"The catch my dear boy is that for you to travel across the multiverse a certain toll must be paid. Equivalent exchange and all."**

"But I don't have anything to offer." The boy practically whined. "My gate is gone and I sure as hell ain't going to sacrifice a body part."

**"Ah, but that's where you're wrong." ** Truth held up it's right arm, palm facing inward. **"Sometimes to move forward one must move back."**

Ed stared at truth, mind whiring, picking apart every piece oh the diety's sentence. Then the alchemist glanced down at his own arm, thoughts focused on one thing and one thing only. "My progress." he said simply.

Truth's grin was practically ear to ear by that point.

Edward raised his right arm, much like truth had done "I give you my progress, the hard earned blood sweat and tears that I spent trying to fix my arm to power the gate."

**"Correct, young alchemist."** Truth snapped it's fingers and immediately a second gate appeared behind it. **"For this exchange, you shall revert to your time before you regained your flesh, let the metal that is your namesake come back to you in full and take back the title which you lost."** The gate behind Truth opened and hundreds if not thousands of inky black hands rushed out and grabbed the Elric bodily and pulled him towards the gate.

As Ed was dragged into the gate he noticed that a bright light was beginning to work its way up his right arm, starting at his fingers then slowly working up. Where the light crossed, metal appeared, the shiny material replacing his flesh and blood.

**"With your progress reverted to before you regained your arm, you gain back the ability to preform alchemy, use it wisely."**

Ed was almost entirely submerged by that point but truth's words echoed through the empty void he was sinking into.

**"Rules change wherever you go young alchemist. The truth of this world will most likely not be the same as the world you are going to."** The outline raised it's hand to wave goodbye. **"You have defeated truth once, let's see if you can do it again. Good luck."** Before the doors slammed shut.

**"You'll need it."**

_**-ooo-**_

_**Ok that's it for this plot bunny, now on to the reasoning. Funnily enough, this was a precursor to my Itachi:Familiar of Zero story. In this Edward was to be Louise's familiar and through an unfortunate series of accidents would be teaching the girl alchemy and she'd be using gloves similar to Mustang to create 'explosions' along with her void magic to become famous and revered and yada yada yada you get the point.**_

_**Some of my ideas for this story included the compatibly between familiars for this story. In my Itachi:Familiar of Zero story, there's not really a DEEP and MEANINGFUL connection between the two that would signify why Itachi was initially summoned for Louise, since summonings tend to bring familiars that are most compatible with the mage in question, either by being of the same element or being a yard stick for how much growth a Mage can have. Itachi is of the latter, along with a similar background of familial abuse and exploitation.**_

_**Ed... well he's more along the lines of being of a similar element... not quite so much the void element, more like Louise's general... temperament... I do not doubt in the slightest that if Ed were a woman, he'd be a tsundere, he'd be A Taiga, A Louise, A Rin, A Shana, A... you get the idea... Not to mention Edward sacrificed his "progress" in this story, that means he reverts to his overall 'height' from the anime/manga before he gets that growth spurt that puts him head and shoulders over Winry. Though... am I the only one who thinks Ed's head looks funny on that big body in the last chapter of the manga? it just does for some reason... **_

_**So yeah, Ed's now a shrimp again... with all the angst that comes with it. And let me tell you, when a tsundere and the 'The Napoleon' Get together. More than sparks will be flying. The punch-punch-kiss love/hate relationship never knew two people more perfect for each other.**_

_**If you don't know what "The Napoleon" is... well here's a hint **_

_"You may inhabit a laughably small frame — Really tiny. Borderline miniature. — But the point is that it's filled with rage!"_

— **Tiny Duke of Wellington**_, the daily show._

**_And you now should all go read more about a wonderful thing called TvTropes... just try not to get too lost..._**

_**Also. Since this story is initially ambiguous, this plot can work for any form of dimensional crossover. As long as something has gone wrong in that story. I.e. Naruto dies and Ed has to find a way to revive him. Ichigo can't figure out how to use his hollow mask so Ed figures out how to etc etc. anythign and everything can be made usable in this prologue as long as something goes wrong in that universe that would force Truth's hand and send Ed in as damage control.**_

_**For those interested in this specific fic idea, I had an ending planned out for it, and while you don't have to use it, it actually goes along rather well for a 'happy ending' that is realistic to the story content, so if you do plan to adopt/challenge this you might want to PM so you can give that 'ending' a look see and see if you want to incorporate that or just scrap it and go your own way, I wont be posting the ending idea since it's actually a very good ending that I'd come up with for this and if I EVER do take this story up I want to have it as a backup. This however will be unlikely if someone else adopts this, and I'll hand over the reins willingly.**_

_**Till the next chapter.**_


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